342: David Epstein | Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
The Jordan Harbinger Show
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The Minimum Reaction Time of Major League Hitters
The minimum reaction time of major league hitters is 200 milliseconds, which is the same for other professionals. This is too slow to react to a pitch. Human visual system is not capable of tracking an object's fast angular changes. Major league hitters have learned to pick up cues from the pitcher's body to overcome these limitations. They use specific practice to group body cues and make split-second decisions on whether to swing or not. However, any change in the pitching style can strip them of this expertise, showing the fragility of their specialized practice.
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